Are you tired of the first paint that you bought your kayak with? Do you want to give your kayak a new look? Why not learn how to paint a kayak? It’s a no brainer if you know what you are doing. Luckily for you, I am here to help.
Why Paint Your Kayak
Well, different kayak owners have different reasons for wanting to paint their kayaks. They include some of the following:
- Naming their kayak
- Giving their kayak a new look
- Hide scratches after repair
Regardless of what your reasons for wanting to paint your kayak are, I suggest learning how to paint a kayak. If you do so, you’ll save so much money by doing it yourself.
How to Paint a Kayak: Step by Step Guide
So how do you paint your kayak? Here is a simple guide to painting a kayak. I have broken it down to a step by step manual for an easy understanding and a simpler read.
Step I: Prepare Your Kayak
When it comes to painting a kayak, proper preparation is key. You must ensure that the kayak is ready for painting and that at its state, it will give you some of the best results. The best way to prepare your kayak for painting is by doing the following.
Remove Detachable Parts
First, get off detachable parts that the kayak has. You can use a screwdriver. These detachable parts may include foot braces, foot paddle holders, and removable kayak seats if you have them.
Sand Your Kayak
Next, sand your kayak down with sandpaper. This applies to models that can be sanded. The sandpaper used will vary, so choose a model that suits your needs. For kayaks, going with sandpaper that has a grit of between 100 and 220 will be a good choice.
Now sand the kayak properly until all the dirt and rough edges are removed. Make sure that the surface of the kayak remains smooth and uniform so that no lines or stains are seen once you paint it up.
Tape Areas You Don’t Want to Paint
Unless you plan on painting your entire kayak, you’d have to tape off every area that you actually don’t want any paint to go to. The best way to do that is to use a painter’s tape, or if you don’t have that, you can use masking tape and old newspapers to again cover those areas.
Ensure that the tape’s edges are firmly stuck on to your kayak so that no paint leaks through or even goes into contact with the covered surface.
Choose Suitable Paint
Under preparation, you should choose a suitable paint too. Go with your favorite color is you can. However, for those who have a kayak for fishing, choosing a color that helps you to camouflage from fish will be awesome.
When choosing the paint, make sure that the paint which you choose is water-resistant. It should again be ideal for use on plastics.
Decide How to Paint
Finally, you should decide if you are going to use a spray or a brush to apply the paint. Either of the two is okay. However, deciding beforehand will make your work really easy and faster.
Step II: Gather Tools and Materials
Now that the kayak is ready for painting, why not splash the paint over it? Well, not so fast. Here are some of the things that you must have before you start to paint your kayak.
- Safe Marine spray paint for (wood, plastics, or fiberglass)
- Sandpaper with the right grit
- Dishwashing soap or liquid
- Water
- Some clean clothes or rags
- Foam roller or brush or a spray gun
- Screwdrivers or drill
- Painter’s tape/ masking tape
- Acetone Marine Wax or Clear Finishing Spray Paint
Once you’ve got all these tools ready, you can now start with painting your kayak. The process should be an easy one from here.
Step III: Prepare Your Paint
Since your kayak is already sanded, you need to go into painting. However, you cannot do that if the paint hasn’t been prepared. So start preparing paint first.
You can use the old-fashioned marine enamel paint or the water-based marine paints. However, for this case, we will use the one-part marine-grade polyurethane paints. This one is suitable for kayaks and will give you the following benefits too.
- High-end durability
- Very easy to apply
- Has a nice and glossy finish
- It is worth the money
Nonetheless, for whatever paints you choose to go for, make sure that you take your time to mix your paints well so that you get a smooth run when painting.
Step IV: Paint Your Kayak
When it comes to giving you kayak the paint, you’ll be better off with one of these two painting methods. Choose the one that you are most comfortable with.
Roll and Tip
For roll and tip style, use the foam rollers since regular rollers won’t have a smooth touch finish and could easily leave you with roller marks or dimples.
The foam brushes are again recommended since they won’t leave you with any form of brush marks.
Here is how you focus on roll and tip:
- Apply marine paint
- Make the paint application thin and even
- Use the foam roller until the kayak is complete
- Use the foam brush to tip-off the roller marks
NOTE: If you apply too much paint, you’ll end up with a sag or droop. Focus more on how quickly your paint tacks up and decide when to take a breather.
Spray Painting
For those who love spray painting, that’s fine since this one will again give you a much better finish. It is easy to use on corners and again on rounded edges. Spraying is dangerous, so make sure that you go with a properly ventilated area.
Here is how you spray paint your kayak.
- Wear a mask
- Wear a pair of gloves
- Cover anything that shouldn’t be painted
- Fill your spray gun with paint
- Spray away to adjust the amount of paint
- Start by sweeping the spray gun vertically or horizontally
- Keep going until the kayak is completed
- You can go with a couple of coats until you hit the desired shade
Remove the Tape
With the painting done and the kayak dry, you should remove your painter’s tape and the old newspapers. This is recommended to be done at least 24 hours from the time you painted. At this time, the kayak should have completely dried.
Apply a Clear Coat
Applying the clear coat on the painted areas will add an extra layer of gloss and protection. It again ensures that the surface of your kayak doesn’t get an easy scratch. Now leave your kayak to dry up again.
Re-Install Parts
Once your clear coat completely dries, you can then begin to re-install the hardware you removed. Keep careful, so you don’t scratch your new paint. Again ensure that your nuts, screws, and bolts are properly tightened.
Clean and Wax
After you have installed back all hardware, you can give your kayak a final wipe down. Thereafter, you can apply marine wax to compete for buff and gloss. This helps to protect your new paint and gives your kayak a shiny finish.
Additional Tip
For those who want to apply decals, this is the right time to do so. It should be the last part of how to paint a kayak if you want to customize the outlook to suit your personality.
Frequently Asked Questions
Before I wrap this up, here are some common FAQs that you will find to be very helpful when painting your kayak.
What Types of Kayaks Can I Paint?
You can easily paint a wooden, polyethylene, and even a fiberglass kayak. The only thing that you’ve got to ensure is that you choose the best paint for every type of surface material that you are working on.
Can I Paint More than a Single Coat on My Kayak?
Yes. You can easily find out that normal or standard styled paints that you’ve used won’t stick easily to the surfaces the first time that you paint them. Giving your kayak two coats will be an awesome idea.
Why should I remove the detachable parts of the Kayak?
You will love to paint on the shell of your kayak. It is easier than choosing to cover removable parts. Take the detachable parts and paint them separately. Remove screws, nuts, and even bolts and store them properly.
Conclusion
Learning how to paint a kayak is no brainer. It takes a short lesson, and you’ll be good to go. With a final unique touch, the next thing will be to get your kayak on the water. The thrill of having a style of your own cannot be surpassed by the other things.
Once you have your kayak up and about, it is important to give your kayak an extra buff for the best finish.